So, I'm recording this episode before D23 begins.

To explain why this event matters in terms of shaping the future of the Disney Company,

also we'll talk about what to look for at the event itself.

We'll focus this episode mostly on the parks.

In other episodes, we'll explore film and other entertainments. But buckle up,

because today we'll take a look at why this event is so important to the company, especially

after a deeply lackluster 2022 expo when Bob Chapix team announced next to nothing of deep

value in terms of generating new visitation

for the Florida and California resorts. In retrospect, most every executive in the C-suite back in

2022 likely knew that the real plan was to use profits from the parks for the foreseeable future to backfill losses from

the Disney Plus streaming service as the expansion to that product was not handled well by Disney

management. The end result, at least in terms of the parks, was that no large projects were

being greenlit to open between 2024 and 2026, which would have

clear negative effects on park visitation and hotel occupancy. And this left current CEO Bob Iger

in a position where he not only needed to correct the management of the streaming service,

but somehow undo or more accurately minimized the damage inflicted on the parks by the previous CEO Bob Chapic.

So, in our lead up to the D23 event today, we'll look at the overall problems that the Disney team needs

to overcome to make this a successful event for both fans and probably now more importantly

for investors. The surface of D23 is a fan celebration, complete with cosplay parades and

unique merchandise. But beneath the

veneer, there are some genuine struggles churning away inside the company as evidenced by another

round of layoffs that were announced only a few days before the event was set to begin. So, if you're ready, let's go.

...